It seemed like forever and it had just been 35 minutes since we had been sitting where we were left after wheeling my mom away.

I stared into space with a dozing Anna on my shoulder and a sleeping Mofe with Anna's mum and there was still no news about my mum.

The urge to walk into the emergency unit came again, tugging at my insides as I tried to keep it in and instead turned to my working dad. He was meant to defend a big case today but instead was stuck at the hospital working with his laptop and phone.

I looked down at my legs that was adorned with the brown sandals I was wearing and my neat white unstained socks. I had long untucked my white silk top from my skirt and my nose had automatically made friends with the normal smell of hospitals which I detested.

I felt Anna mumble something in her sleep and Micheal and I exchanged a look. I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips and my brother just scoffed letting out a small laugh.

It baffled me how sad events could lead to building bonds that could last a lifetime. It seemed to me that nothing could break the bond me and Micheal had built over the few minutes we spent together, talking about stuffs I never imagined my self talking about with him.

He was using Anna's phone and immediately the idea struck me, it hit him also because immediately I looked up, he directed the phone to Anna's face, taking a shot of a sleeping Anna with her mouth open and the drool seeking escape from her mouth.

I moved away right before the liquid could find a place on my uniform and that woke her up. Her eyes were red and the bags gracing her eyes were sharing the same attention a sore thumb would normally share.

One unsteady and painful look at me and Micheal made her wrap the grey hoodie she had on tighter around her self and carefully pull down the extra long sleeves of the cotton that swallowed her wrist and hand fully.

What was up with her and oversized clothes?

She placed her palm on her forehead and shut her eyes. I didn't need a fortune teller to tell me that she was having a head wracking ache and I pulled her to me, flinching as my hands touched her body.

I retrieved my hand to myself and stared at her, my mouth slightly open from shock. Her body was hot, more like heat was emitting from her body, and she felt to me like a human lava.

She slowly pulled her eyes open, squinting at me like I was a very bright light that her pupils were trying to get used to and this snapped me out of my thoughts and I grabbed her hand "Anna..."

I couldn't bring myself to say anything as she stood up and steadied her staggering self. I got up holding her steady and her mum stood up also, fear flashed in her eyes as she took quick steps towards us and my dad paused what he was doing.

Just like that, she became the center of attention without even moving a limb.

"I'm fine." She roughly shook my hand off her before shooting her mum a look and walking to heaven knows where. I nodded at her mum and followed her. "You want to use toilet?" I asked and she just kept walking, ignoring me.

Okay?

She walked to the woman at the reception who was behind a wooden table that was tortured with files, books and a cup that held a thermometer and all other minor medical materials. "Excuse me ma, please where is the restroom?" Anna placed her hands on the wooden desk and a brown skinned woman, turned to her.

Yeh! (Ah)

I blinked as I beheld the sight in front of me and it took me energy to blink back the tears that had began forming.

Why na? Why?

She had on a bright red lipstick that could make you go blind if you stared to much and her makeup was all gone wrong.

Starting from her artificial eyebrows that looked like a painter had dipped a brush in black colour and ran it over the place just above her eyes in an arch-like manner.

To her fixed eyelashes that were unnecessarily long and made her look like the pepper sellers on the street. She was a sight to behold, her painted face could make people fascinated about art cry.

"What?" She snapped at a still shocked and baffled me.

I blinked and offered a smile and a shake of my head as she hissed, and I tapped my feet in embarrassment making her turn back to an already impatient Anna.

"Ehen jare (yes), you will just go down and turn left, at your right you will see it." She dropped her hand after her short direction. Anna's brow furrowed in confusion as I shot her a look.

What kind of description was that?

"Thanks." Anna said and I just nooded at the woman who was giving me the stink eye.

Mtcheww. Sure.

We reached our supposed destination and my nostrils burned at the stench of the toilet that was bathed with an air freshener but still proudly wore it's stench.

As we got into the toilet, Anna shook her head at me. "That woman's make up was lit." I laughed.

Typical Anna.

"Shebi?(Right?)" I folded my hands under my long silk top and Anna smiled. As if knowing the next words that wanted to badly seek escape from my mouth, She grabbed the ceramic sink beside me with both hands and threw up inside.

I hurried to her side and switched on the tap as she continued emptying her bowels. When she was done, she put washed her hand and her mouth and then proceeded to washing her face.

A sigh escaped her lips as she brought the water to her face, slowly rubbing her forehead and temple. All I did was keep on rubbing her back because that was what I could do.

My mind going back to my mum's lifeless body and the tears came. I blinked them back as Anna turned to me, offering a weak smile, "I'm fine now, let's go."

"Yeah. Sure." I croaked out as she hurridly yanked down her hoodie sleeves that she had pulled up when washing her face not to get water on them.

Just as she was about to pull them down fully, I stopped her. She was hot, burning hot and it was more like if she had on the hoodie for the next few minutes, her body would release fire.

"Anna look at the way your body is hot and you still want to wear this thing." I started with dragging up the sleeves and she held my hand, her grip on my hand like iron bars, making me stop and look at her.

As much as she tried to hold it in, I saw it. The fear I saw the other day when we were at the tap at school and Ituah laughed. The fear I had seen when she was asked to pull off her pullover when we went to see a cousin because she was sweating came. It was there, raw in her eyes.

"What?" I whispered and she blinked, what I saw seconds ago vanishing into thin air when her eyes opened after they were barely closed for a second. "Nothing... I'm feeling cold." Was her reply and I kissed my teeth.

Ònípárò ní ómò girl yí o. (This girl is a liar.)

I held on to her hand and she increased her grip on mine. I was going to get her to tell me what really was the problem. So many secrets were hidden, just hanging in the air, waiting for the right buttons to be pushed, I was determined.

If this was going to take my mind away from everything that had happened that morning and make my heart free from all the terror, I was going to give it my best shot, game face was on.

"Anna tell me. What's the problem?" I held her hand tightly which was the spot just above her wrist, ignoring the way my hands were getting hot due to her hot skin.

She sighed. "You're hurting me Lois... You're hurting me!" She yelled the last part so loudly that I lost my guard, flinching and at the same time pulling my hands away from the yelling girl in front of me.

I swallowed, trying to calm down. I put my hand to my chest that had picked a not to fast race and breathed out staring at her. She stared at me, her eyes piercing into mine, holding emotions I could not express that made me feel scared.

My cousin was scary, yes but I could never imagine myself being sacred of her, never. Her gaze lingered a few seconds more and like someone who had been snapped out of a reverie, she inhaled sharply and walked out of the toilet leaving a dumbfounded me.

I followed behind slowly, keeping my distance and soon we reached the reception where my dad and Anna's mum were missing. Micheal was with a laughing Mofe and I speedwalked to them asking where the adults were.

"The doctor called for them, he had news about mum." Micheal said as Mofe planted a kiss on Anna's cheek and the toned skin child squealed, hugging the baby boy tightly.

Micheal stood up to stand beside me as I just kept staring at the door I thought they would have entered. I turned to him, just nodding and willing my head to think of another encouraging word to say to him but his next words stopped me, sealing my lips.

"Lois...I don't think the doctor had good news about mum, he tried to hide it, but it was there."

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